If you run, there’s a good chance you’ve owned a pair of the best Brooks running shoes. Brooks shoes are consistently best-sellers at running stores, and our contacts in the biz tell us that it’s for a simple reason: Brooks shoes just work. We all run differently, have different feet, hit the ground in a different way, but Brooks shoes renders those intricacies null via mesh and foam. The Ghost might be the most well-known, but a full rundown of the best Brooks running shoes reveals a deeper bench.
Brooks earned its footwear knowhow the same way the best endurance runners do—by putting in the time. Brooks has been making shoes for more than 100 years, but in the early days it was ballet flats, bathing shoes, roller skates, and cleats. It wasn’t until the ’70s that Brooks went all-in on running and released a string of showpiece shoes like the Villanova and Vantage before beginning to develop innovations like Podular Technology and MoGo. It’s all history now, so we laced up in the current lineup to find out what the best Brooks running shoes are today.
The Best Brooks Running Shoes, at a Glance:
- The Best Brooks Running Shoes Overall: Glycerin 22, $165
- The Best Brooks Running Shoes for Everyday Wear: Ghost 16, $140
- The Best Brooks Running Shoes for Speed: Hyperion 2, $140
- The Best Brooks Running Shoes for Long Runs: Hyperion Max 2, $180
- The Best Brooks Running Shoes With Maximum Cushion: Glycerin Max, $200
- The Best Brooks Running Shoes for Racing: Hyperion Elite 4 PB, $250
- The Best Brooks Stability Shoe: Glycerin GTS 22, $165
- The Most Comfortable Brooks (Trail) Running Shoe: Caldera 8, $150
- The Best Brooks Trail Running Shoe: Cascadia 18, $140
In This Guide
Best Brooks Running Shoes Overall: Glycerin 22
Everyday running shoes are what Brooks has proven itself best at making, and the Glycerin 22 is the best of that bunch. The magic is in the midsole, a sweep of foam made of DNA Tuned, a type that features small nitrogen bubbles inside for cushion and bounce; Tuned includes larger bubbles in the back for more cushion and smaller ones up front for an energetic toe-off. You can feel the formula on the run—in all our testing, the Glycerin felt poppy and energetic, so much so that it seems lighter than it is. On top of that (literally), the double jacquard knit upper is accommodating and snug through the midfoot and heel, if a little warm. (It could probably use a little thinning and cut some weight in the process.) The sum total is an excellent shoe that doesn’t only handle everyday runs, it makes you excited to lace up.
Best Everyday Brooks Running Shoes: Ghost 16
When we mentioned how some Brooks shoes just seem to work for any runner, we had the Ghost in mind. While not the flashiest running shoe out there today, the Ghost has everything a runner needs for casual loops around the neighborhood: a comfy and accommodating upper, a durable and grippy outsole, and soft midsole made of DNA Loft v3 foam that doesn’t hide any surprises. It’s the perfect shoe for beginners and infrequent runners who want a sneaker for walking around in too, and it comes in a range of widths and sizes.
Best Brooks Running Shoes for Speed: Hyperion 2
The Hyperion 2 weighs less than some of the tip-top $250 marathon running shoes. It’s not meant to run with that crowd, but still, it gives you a sense of what Brooks was going for here. With a platform made of the company’s DNA Flash v2 midsole foam, the Hyperion 2 is made to be responsive, and it is—while the shoe can take on a wide range of paces like the best everyday running shoes out there, it really proves its point when the going gets fast. In testing, the shoe was fully capable of throwing down, but the best part is that it achieves all this without feeling overly minimal; the upper is quite comfy and well-cushioned. Our one deduction goes to the tongue, which is gusseted on one side and can bunch on the other.
Best Brooks Running Shoes for Long Runs: Hyperion Max 2
It’d be easy to say that the Hyperion Max 2 is simply a Hyperion with more beneath it. But that’d be a big oversimplification—this is entirely its own shoe. It has the same responsive DNA Flash v2 foam, sure, but there’s more of it, and there’s a Pebax SpeedVault plate at work too, and RapidRoll rocker is here to keep things moving forward. Both are great at speed, but the Hyperion Max feels more appropriate for long hauls, and that’s what we kept choosing it for during testing. That extra foam, the stability of the plate, and the rocker-enabled roll all made those later miles feel a little more enjoyable. One thing to note is that even though this is a max cushion shoe, the DNA Flash v2 feels firm; it’s meant to be more responsive, not a giant underfoot pillow. It’s not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. The only thing to say about the upper is that it’s great—lightweight, breathable, snug up high and roomy in the toes; top marks.
Best Brooks Running Shoes With Maximum Cushion: Glycerin Max
Brooks has a few high-cushion shoes with the last name “Max,” but none are as pleasantly squishy as the Glycerin Max. Some maximalist shoes are all squish, but the Glycerin Max manages to combine soft landings with a responsive push into the next step, an unlikely combo made possible by the DNA Tuned foam underfoot. A rockered outsole shape also helps keep things moving along. The shoe could probably lose a tiny bit of weight, but running in it—at any length or speed, really—still feels energetic. Pick up a pair if you want a do-everything Brooks shoe with the most cushion.
Best Brooks Running Shoes for Racing: Hyperion Elite 4 PB
Brooks has been behind other brands in the race day category, but the Hyperion Elite 4 PB is a big stride into the pack. The previous Hyperion Elite 4, no “PB,” was similar with its ultralight mesh upper and ARRIS carbon fiber plate that came tuned to each size of the shoe (rather than just shrunk or expanded). But the PB packs a key difference: the foam. Now with PEBA DNA Gold underfoot, this version of the Hyperion Elite has the same pep the other super shoes have been working with for a long time. (Side note: One thing we like that the Hyperion Elite 4 PB has that most of the rest don’t is a heel loop to help you get the darn thing on.) Brooks’ entire pro marathon team set personal bests at the 2024 Chicago Marathon in this shoe, so it’s not a bad choice if you’re looking to up the ante yourself—if you can get a pair.
Best Brooks Stability Shoe: Glycerin GTS 22
Brooks has been experimenting with form-correcting design interventions since its early days in the running shoe world. The company’s latest on the matter is GuideRails, a support system that’s meant to keep you inside your body’s natural path of motion. The GTS in the name of this version of the Glycerin lets you know that this one comes with those GuideRails. And the shoe is similar to the Glycerin in ethos: it’s an everyday trainer with soft nitrogen-infused foam. In our testing we found that it’s not exactly like the regular Glycerine though; it’s a touch heavier, and feels more rigid—the GuideRails don’t feel drastic like some stability features can but you can tell they’re there, helping with overpronation and keeping the run moving forward and straight. Still, they had that familiar Glycerin responsiveness when we picked up the pace for some strides.
Most Comfortable Brooks (Trail) Running Shoe: Caldera 8
Trails dig up a list of variables not found on roads that make designing a high-cushion shoe less straightforward. Just a little wobbliness can lead to twisted ankles, and too much foam can dull a runner’s sense of the terrain. The Caldera 8 has the thickest platform of Brooks’ trail lineup but it avoids these pitfalls entirely. Instead, the wedge of DNA Loft v3 foam underfoot makes a ride that’s comfy and responsive but still planted and even nimble. The TrailTack outsole proved plenty grippy too. All this made the Caldera 8 our favorite trail running shoe from Brooks—for all kinds of runs and specifically for long runs—despite some issues with the fit of the upper that cause occasional rubbing and sliding.
Best Brooks Trail Running Shoe: Cascadia 18
In the Brooks trail shoe lineup, the Cascadia fills the same role as the Ghost. It runs down the middle with a good mix of responsiveness and cushion and doesn’t lean more towards one or the other. You can wear it on technical trails and gravel paths but it’s probably best for the single track that makes up the ground in-between. The Cascadia 18 feels great at moderate paces but a little sluggish going faster with the extra heft it carries, but you’re getting this shoe for reliability, not flash. You might also be getting it for hiking, because all of its features make it great for that, too.
Main Features of a Brooks Shoe
Proprietary Cushion Technology: The secret sauce for any running shoe company is the midsole foam, and Brooks calls its recipe DNA. You’ll come across different versions of it and Brooks’ team of developers is constantly updating and adjusting the formula to make it softer, firmer, more responsive, or longer lasting. One you’ll come across often is DNA Loft v3, which is a lightweight nitrogen-infused EVA that Brooks uses in its high-cushion shoes. DNA Flash v2 is also a nitrogen-infused foam, but it’s made to be more responsive. You might also come across DNA Tuned, where the nitrogen bubbles are different sizes in different parts of the midsole to create effects like more cushion in the heel and more spring in the toe. Recently, Brooks created PEBA DNA Gold, a highly responsive and lightweight foam for the Hyperion Elite PB racing shoe.
GuideRails for Stability: GuideRails are a component that Brooks debuted in 2013 with the Transcend. The idea behind them is that rather than correct a runner’s form, stability features should aim to keep runners within their unique “habitual motion path” aka their body’s default form. In practice, GuideRails are extra “plates” of firmer foam on top of the midsole that cradle the foot from the sides—the idea is that these address overpronation when it happens but not otherwise. Brooks makes versions of most of its popular running shoes with GuideRails; just look for GTS in the shoe’s name (that stands for Go-To Stability).
Other Features of Brooks Running Shoes
Brooks uses a few other proprietary design features in its shoes:
- GlideRoll Rocker brings a curved shape to the heel and toe to encourage smooth transitions through each stride.
- A Segmented Crash Pad is an outsole made of various sections divided by grooves that allows the shoe to flex and support any type of landing.
- TrailTack Rubber is Brooks’ trail-specific outsole rubber compound, made for extra grip on varied and wet surfaces.